VLADIVOSTOK, September 4. /TASS/. The four key conditions of political settlement in Ukraine are not implemented by Kiev, whereas the proposed changes are of a purely declarative nature, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.
"The four principal conditions of political settlement are unfortunately just not implemented by our colleagues in Kiev," Putin told journalists.
"As regards these tragic events [in front of the Verkhovna Rada in Kiev], I believe it is in no way connected with amendments to the Constitution, because all proposed as changes there today is absolutely declarative and in essence does not change the structure of power in Ukraine," he said.
"Amendments to the Constitution are used exclusively as a pretext to intensify the struggle for power," Putin said.
Further events in Ukraine, he said, depend on how long the country’s people will tolerate the situation. Putin said agreement of amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution between Kiev and Donbas is "the most important and principled thing".
"If we speak about the Minsk Agreements, I will recall: amendments to the Constitution should be coordinated with Donbas; the law on elections to local self-government bodies should be coordinated with Donbass; the law on amnesty should be adopted - it is not; and the law on a special status of these territories should be enacted - it has been adopted, but its enactment has been postponed again," the Russian head of state said.
Speaking of Ukraine’s further fate, Putin said the country has been put under external control.
"All key posts in the government and in key regions are held by foreigners - I think it is an insult to the Ukrainian people," he said. "Does Ukraine not have honest people and competent government officials?"